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The Malone University football team suffered a narrow 24-21 loss on Saturday afternoon at Fawcett Stadium in a Mid-States Football Association Mideast League rivalry contest against NAIA No. 19 Walsh University. The Cavaliers, who were the home team in this year's match-up, held a 24-7 lead early in the fourth quarter before two quick Pioneer touchdowns pulled Malone to within three points with over eight minutes remaining in the contest. Following the pair of Pioneer scores, Walsh took the ensuing kickoff and methodically drove down the field but was unable to add to its lead as a 49-yard field goal attempt by Cavalier kicker Eric Buchanan was wide right, giving the ball back to Malone on its own 32 yard-line with 3:53 showing on the clock. The Pioneers managed to pick up a first down after converting on a third and nine but, on the very next play, Walsh defensive back Chris Bivins brought Malone's potential game-winning drive to a halt by intercepting his fifth pass of the season. With Malone having used all of its timeouts on the Cavaliers' previous possession, Walsh was then able to run out the remaining 2:37 to preserve the narrow victory. The Pioneers' record fell to 1-6 overall and 0-4 in the MSFA Mideast with the tough defeat, their third of loss of 2010 that has come by a margin of six points or less. The Cavaliers, meanwhile, brought their two-game losing streak to an end, improving to 6-2 overall and 2-2 in league play.

Walsh running back Clinton Blossomgame got the Cavaliers on the scoreboard late in the first quarter, capping a 10-play, 80-yard drive with a one-yard plunge across the goal line. Malone threatened late in the second quarter when a 53-yard punt return by defensive back Patrick O'Malley gave the Pioneers a first and ten at the Cavalier 35. However, the Walsh defense backed the Pioneers up, forcing a punt to preserve its 7-0 advantage at halftime.

Walsh then took the second-half kickoff and marched 61 yards on four Blossomgame rushes, the last an 18-yard dash to the endzone that put the Cavaliers in front 14-0. Malone responded quickly, pulling to within 14-7 on its first offensive play of the third quarter as Pioneer slot back Justin McLean took the option pitch from quarterback Mike Karls and weaved his way through the Walsh defense on an 82-yard touchdown run, marking the longest rush from scrimmage in school history (the previous record was a 78-yard run by Dan DeGeorge against the University of Findlay in 1995).

The Cavaliers tacked on a 29-yard field goal to push their advantage to 17-7 with 3:11 remaining in the third quarter and then, after recovering a fumbled Karls' pitch deep in Malone territory, Walsh made it 24-7 five minutes into the final stanza on a two-yard touchdown run by tailback Dominic Williams.

A 50-yard McLean return combined with a 15-yard Walsh personal foul penalty helped swing the momentum back in the Pioneers' favor on the ensuing kickoff. Malone was then able to take advantage of the good field position, concluding a quick four-play, 35-yard drive with a seven-yard touchdown pass from Karls to running back Jeremy Jordan. Kicker Nick Allison followed with the extra point to trim the deficit to 24-14 with 8:31 remaining.

The once comfortable Cavalier lead then all but disappeared six seconds later as Malone defensive back Lepear Smith scooped up a Walsh fumble on the ensuing kickoff and returned it five yards for a touchdown to pull the Pioneers to within three at 24-21.

The Cavaliers ran over four minutes off the clock on their next possession, advancing the ball all the way to the Malone 24 before a holding call short-circuited the drive and forced the long field-goal try.  The Pioneers then moved the ball to midfield before Bivins came up with the game-clinching pick.

On the afternoon, Walsh totaled 314 yards on the ground and 62 yards through the air for a total offensive output of 376 yards. The Pioneers countered with 230 total yards, 183 rushing and 47 passing. Walsh converted on just three of 15 third downs but was successful on all three of its fourth-down conversions and held a nearly 10-minute advantage in time of possession.

McLean totaled 72 rushing yards on just six attempts, including his record-setting touchdown run in the third quarter. He also contributed on special teams with 90 yards on three kickoff returns. Jordan picked up 60 rushing yards on eight attempts and also hauled in the seven-yard TD pass. Karls completed four of 14 passes for 47 yards. O'Malley posted 60 yards on three punt returns while also registering five tackles. Defensive lineman Cody Carroll notched a game-high 12 total tackles with one sack. Linebacker Antonio Scassa followed with 11 stops while fellow linebacker Wesley Kauffman made 10 total tackles.

For Walsh, Blossomgame racked up 221 rushing yards on 33 carries with two touchdowns. Williams added 80 rushing yards and one TD on 20 rushing attempts. Quarterback Jim Shiplett completed four of seven passes for 62 yards before leaving the game with an injury. Defensively, linebacker Cody Kilar paced the Cavaliers with eight total tackles.

Prior to the start of Saturday's game, Pioneer defensive back Isaiah Wyatt was recognized as Malone's 2010 recipient of the Dick Gallagher Memorial Scholarship, named in honor of the late and former executive director of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 

Malone will continue MSFA Mideast play next Saturday when it travels to Deerfield, Illinos to take on Trinity International University. The Pioneers' final road game of the season will kick off at 1:00 p.m. CDT (2:00 p.m. EDT). Fans that cannot make it to the game can catch a live radio broadcast of the action on WNPQ 95.9 FM or on the internet at www.thelight959.com